End-cell-switch indicator.



In. 7|7,477. Patented Dec. 30, 1902:.

- A. c. WALTHER.

END CELL SWITCH INDICATOR.

(Application filed Feb. 17, 1 902.) (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR o. W LTH R, OF EASTORANGE, NEW JERsEY.

END-CELL-SW ITCH INDICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,477, dated December 30, 1902.

Application filed February 17, 1902. Serial No. 94,530. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHURO. WALTHER, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in End-Oell-Switch Indicators; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to end-cell-switch indicators for use with storage-battery installations; and its object is to improve the endcell-switch indicator patented to me in the United States January.7, 1902, No. 690,800, in respect of the number of resistances employed. In my patent cited the invention included a separate resistance in one ofthe twobranches of each lamp circuit in order to cause the lamp acted upon to glow feebl y when the switch was in contact with one end cell and to light up in full as the switch made the connection with the neighboring cell and completed a circuit through the lamp free from extra resistance. It has been found in practice that the introduction of a number of independent resistances adds to the cost of the apparatus materially, and my present in- Ventionis produced with the viewof employing but a single resistance and the arrangement of the conductors in such manner that the single resistance may be thrown into circuit with the indicating-lamp at one position of the switch and at the next position the circuit energized does not contain the extra resistance.

Each constituent element of my invention is described in detail, and its individual office, together with the mode of operation of the whole, fully explained hereinbelow.

I accomplish the objects stated by means of the parts and their association illustrated in the accompanying'drawings, in which Figure 1 comprises a front View of a lampindicator, a perspective view of an end-cell switch and box of cells, and a diagrammatic representation of the circuits and resistance, showing their arrangement. Fig. 2 is a side view of the knee and lamp-switch brush in connection with two of the contacts of the switchboard."

Like numerals designatelike parts throughout.

Considering the drawings, numeral 1 marks the indicator-box, and 2 its glazed door, suitably hinged and provided with a fastening of any selected character.

The lamps are designated by numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, the lowest number being that on the left.

Number 13 refers to one of the main conductors which serve the local lamp-circuits. It may be assumed that the current from any suitable source enters by Way of conductor 13 and passes to the lamp 3 by wire 14 and from that lamp by wire 15 to contact 16 of the lampswitchboard. Contact 16 is the second in position from the "left-hand end of the lampswitchboard 17 of the upper row of contacts, and the first of the row or series is marked 18.

Number 19 designates a branchwire leading from contact 18,, (the first contact to the wire 15,) with which it is connected at some point before that Wire reaches its termination in the second contact 16. In a similar manner wire 20 leads to lamp 4from the conductor 13, and from that lamp wire 21 extends to the contact 22, which is the fourth of the upper row of contacts, as shown. Number 23 designates the third contact of that row, and it is connected by the branch wire 21 with lamp-wire 21 before that wire reaches the contact-plate 22.

It will be noted that there is a lower row or series of contact-plates, the first four of them from the left being marked 25, 26, 27, and 28. All these contacts are plates or blocks of metal embedded in or otherwise securely attached to a switchboard or'bar 17, already mentioned. Fig. 1 shows that the first and third of the lower contacts 25 and 27 are connected with-the transverse conductor 29 and that this conductor includes the resistance 30, of any selected nature, before the conductor is joined metallically to conductor 31, by way of which it may be supposed the lampcurrent returns to its source. Fig. 1 also shows that the fourth contact 28 of the lower row and the sixth contact 32 of that row are connected with the conductor 31, which is ar-- ICO ranged parallel with and below the transverse conductor 29, as illustrated. The second contact 26 of the lower series (shown only in Fig. 2) is connected with conductor 31, as the fourth and sixth lower contacts are; but the position of .the knee 33 in Fig. 1 hides the connection-that is to say, the odd-numbered lower contacts in order from the left are connected with transverse conductor 29, which takes in the resistance 30, and the even contacts, considered numerically from the left, are connected with the outgoing conductor 31. Knee 32 is secured upon the insulatingplate 34: on the end-cell switch 35 by means of the screws 36 passing through the longitudinal slots 37 in the horizontal portion of the knee. The slots permit a short adjustment of the knee toward or from the contacts. In Fig. 2 the brush 38 is shown attached to the sleeve 39, movable up and down on the vertical member of the knee and adapted to be secured at any height thereon by the set-screw 40. The brush is shown in both figures as joining the second contacts in the upper and lower rows. These contacts are arranged, as drawn, in pairs, one directly over the other on the switchboard or bar 17. As the end-cell switch 35 is located in Fig. 1, the current flows through the first lamp 3 and passes by means of brush 38 of the knee or lamp-switch from contact 16, the second in the upper row to contact 26, the second in the lower row to the outgoing conductor 31, which, as already explained, does not include an extra resistance, and lamp'3 lights up fully, indicating to an attendant familiar with the apparatus that the end cell switch is on the second cell of the box; but if the end-cell switch should be moved backward, carrying with it the knee and causing the brush to join contact 18, the first ot' the upper row, and contact 25, the first of the lower row, it is believed to be clear that the current in order to reach the outgoing conductor 31 must first pass through the transverse conductor 29, and consequently through the resistance 30. Under this arrangement of the circuit lamp 3 would glow with only partial brilliancy, indicating that the end-cell switch was upon the first end cell of the box. I do not confine myself to the precise arrangement shown in the drawings, as the even contacts could obviously be circuited with the resistance-wire, if desired. In ordinary practice the box contains twenty end cells, and the position of the end-cell switch is indicated by ten lamps. The reduced light of any lamp indicates the contact of the end-cell switch with one end cell, and full light of the same lamp gives notice of the connection of the end-cell switch with the adjoining end cell. Twenty pairs, each comprising one upper and one lower contact, correspond with the twenty end cells in the box; but it is not deemed necessary to introduce reference-numbers for the entire twenty pairs, the operation being precisely the same for each lamp as that explained for the first lamp 3.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. In an end-cell-switch indicator, the combination of a series of lamps, a main lampcircuit conductor and wires leading from the said conductor to each lamp, a switchboard, wires connecting each of the said lamps and the switchboard, a main lamp-circuit conductor 31 leading from the switchboard, a conductor 29 leading from the switchboard and connected with the said cond uctor 31, a resist ance included in the said conductor 29, and switch mechanism constructed and arranged to connect each lamp with the conductors 29 and 31 alternately whereby the said resistance may be included in and excluded from circuit with each lamp successively.

2. In an end-cell-switch indicator, the combination of a series of lamps, a main lampcircuit conductor and wires leading from the said conductor to each lamp, a switchboard having an upper and a lower row of contacts corresponding in number and position, wires leading from the said lamps and connected with each alternate contact in the said upper row, branch wires connecting the said lampwires with the remaining upper row contacts of the switchboard, a main lamp-circuit conductor 31 leading from the switchboard and connected with each alternate contact in the said lower row, a conductor 29 leading from the switchboard and connected with the remaining contacts in the lower row of switchboard-contacts, a resistance included in the conductor 29, and a movable switch provided with a brush arranged to join upper and lower contacts of the switchboard, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ARTHUR O. VVALTHER.

Witnesses:

ELIZABETH S. DAY, CHAS. P. VAN ALLEN. 

